tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84432172986941877932018-03-06T04:18:18.799-05:00Race WriteMusings from Jeff Pappone<br>
Globe and Mail Motorsport CorrespondentJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-65754665159486609302010-08-30T10:42:00.003-04:002010-08-31T20:43:11.086-04:00Ambrose leaves Montreal empty-handed for 4th timeHe wasn’t first time lucky, he suffered the sophomore jinx, and his third time definitely wasn’t a charm. Now, Marcos Ambrose has a fourth frustration in Montreal to fume over. After taking control of the race early and passing cars at will, a mechanical failure turned another promising performance in Montreal to tears as he retired from the NAPA Auto Parts 200 on Sunday with 24 laps to go due toJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-24452326122949453412010-08-18T14:43:00.001-04:002010-08-18T14:43:02.906-04:00Windsor wisdom?Peter Windsor resurfaced earlier this month as a new columnist for GPweek magazine after laying low for the better part of a year during the USF1 fiasco.As readers might recall, Windsor was one of the men behind stillborn Formula One team which never made it to a race despite his continued promises left and right that it would be in Bahrain last March.In his first act as a GPweek staffer, WindsorJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-70035029652010611392010-08-08T10:15:00.002-04:002010-08-08T10:18:13.882-04:00Mark Webber pays it forwardMy latest column in the Globe about Formula One racer Mark Webber's help to IndyCar driver Will Power...Formula One driver Mark Webber doesn’t have to win the world title this year to be a champion in Will Power’s eyes. That’s because without getting some financial aid from the Red Bull racer five years ago, Power’s career might have come to a screeching halt. Instead, Webber pitched in to help Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-28159297159556230892010-07-02T11:01:00.006-04:002010-07-02T11:20:16.870-04:00Did fans really get their say?With loads of back patting and self congratulations happening in the wake of the Formula One Teams Association's fan forum this week in London, I’d like to take a moment to toss some cold water on the proceedings.Maybe I am a complete cynic, but I wouldn’t suggest that F1 fans get their hopes up that it will have much of an effect on the way the sport does business. Only 150 fans were given the Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-23557080288403811462010-06-30T19:13:00.003-04:002010-06-30T19:24:04.693-04:00Why the Valencia fiasco was the FIA’s faultOk, everyone has an opinion on the safety car pass by Lewis Hamilton in Valencia on Sunday and whether the fact that he still finished second despite breaking the rules while those who played fair were essentially penalized.It does seem that the British media — unsurprisingly of course — are finding ways to defend their boy Hamilton. Not out of the ordinary, as Lewis is the greatest driver to Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-49967823155729834332010-06-28T12:05:00.002-04:002010-06-28T12:08:20.053-04:00No reason to follow the rules in F1My latest column for the Globe and Mail:Formula One may be the pinnacle when it comes to auto racing, but its officiating continues to make it look like a bush league sport. Time and time again, F1's governing Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has dropped the ball when it comes to making and applying rules and Sunday's European Grand Prix only exposed further challenges to the Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-77666107771535828762010-06-25T10:37:00.001-04:002010-06-25T10:44:20.265-04:00Old names and new teamsLet me make myself perfectly clear: I believe that a sport diminishes itself when it allows participants to take credit for others’ accomplishments. Now, if that makes me one of these “purists” who wants to stick with tradition, so be it. That brings me to Lotus Racing.Now some Formula One journalists that I respect have argued that Tony Fernandes has shown the proper respect to be a suitable Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-24777570763093928832010-06-11T10:33:00.002-04:002010-06-11T10:35:01.371-04:00Renault's winning formulaMy latest column in the Globe and Mail...With its venture capital owners and major manufacturer in the background, the Renault Formula One team’s model may be the future of the sport. But F1 is a world where change comes slowly and old habits die hard, so the Luxembourg-based Genii Capital that now controls the Renault outfit seems to be ahead of the rest as the teams prepare for Sunday’s Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-79338596346788773842010-06-07T15:48:00.001-04:002010-06-07T15:59:30.401-04:00A breath of fresh air in F1 racingMy latest column in the Globe and Mail... Gerard Lopez may be a bit too young to recall Formula One's glory years in the 1970s, but there's little doubt he's a bit of a throwback to the sport's halcyon days. Renault F1's new majority owner would be pleased to see the sport go back to the days when drivers oozed charisma, characters dominated the pitlane, teams simply cared about racing, and fans Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-61343857085316928102010-06-04T12:18:00.002-04:002010-06-04T12:31:01.288-04:00An audience with Joe SawardA quick reminder that Joe Saward will be the host of a Formula 1 insiders' view event designed for fans on Friday, June 11th at the Pub St Paul, 124 St-Paul East in Old Montreal. It begins at 19:00 and includes a buffet dinner and live bands later in the evening. Entry will be by ticket only. The event which aims to give fans the chance to get a unique insight into F1 as Joe begins the evening Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-88619945837420906782010-05-31T11:47:00.002-04:002010-05-31T11:49:58.972-04:00Double dose of Red Bull doesn’t ensure a winMy latest column in the Globe and Mail:Their ads say that Red Bull gives you wings, but having its Formula One drivers flying into each other probably wasn’t the planned result. With 17 laps left in Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were cruising to a Red Bull 1-2 when disaster struck. The pair tangled as Vettel tried to overtake his teammate going into Turn 12, Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-53258936908756433732010-05-17T14:07:00.001-04:002010-05-17T14:07:38.494-04:00Kubica races to surprising startMy latest column in The Globe and Mail:When Robert Kubica signed with Renault for 2010 after his BMW-Sauber team announced it would withdraw from Formula 1at the end of last season, things looked bleak for the talented Polish driver.Only three years after winning consecutive world championships, Renault had limped through 2009 and finished eighth out of 10 teams with a dismal 26 points. And if itJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-4555868607088716782010-05-06T14:50:00.001-04:002010-05-06T14:51:49.534-04:00Lotus launches new online shopOK, it may not be the old Colin Chapman Lotus Team, but the stuff is still really cool. The newly revived Lotus Racing has unveiled team clothes and accessories available for purchase. The selection is sparse, with only 13 items for sale and nothing for women or kids until June, but the British racing green stuff is rather classy and neat.The shop is open now with more items to come later in the Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-30624699658125343022010-05-06T08:51:00.001-04:002010-05-06T08:53:14.095-04:00The Thrill of the ChaseMy latest column in the Globe and Mail...With the NASCAR season almost one-third over, almost half of the Chase for the Cup qualifiers from last year need to get it in gear. Five of the 12 drivers who battled in the 10-race playoff last year are on the outside looking in going into Darlington this weekend, the 11th of the season’s 36 races. And while it may be too early to panic, the five driversJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-5999313906225830952010-05-04T09:33:00.003-04:002010-05-04T09:40:30.689-04:00Porsche Cayman Interseries videoThe newly Porsche Cayman Interseries ran its second race of its inaugural season at Road Atlanta in Braselton Georgia and the car maker used the occasion to produce a video about the new series. Also included are interviews with the founders of the series as well as on-track footage of the heritage livery themed 2010 Porsche Caymans.Enjoy. The Cayman Interseries: HSR, Road Atlanta from Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-22262525731943663422010-04-22T20:44:00.002-04:002010-04-22T20:48:09.297-04:00Gordon happy NASCAR an old spoiler sport againJeff Gordon's prospects go up with spoiler, James Hinchcliffe wins, and Lewis Hilton's unpunished antics get ink in my latest column in the Globe and Mail:Watch out for Jeff Gordon for the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. After not having much luck with the Car of Tomorrow's wing, the four-time champion will be looking to regain old form as the Sprint Cup gets back to racing on faster tracksJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-49363071350543844662010-04-20T16:05:00.001-04:002010-04-20T16:08:01.232-04:00A grand evening indeedF1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone and former Conservative cabinet minister Michael Fortier, now at the law firm Ogilvy Renault will co-chair a pre-Canadian Grand Prix charity event on June 10, 2010 called “The Grand Evening.” The exclusive soirée will benefit the Sainte Justine University Hospital Center UHC Foundation and the Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal Foundation.How exclusive, or should I Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-66791918039080319802010-04-15T09:58:00.001-04:002010-04-15T09:59:47.778-04:00Wickens is new Status symbolMy latest column for the Globe and Mail...Arguably Canada's best shot at having another driver in Formula One, Robert Wickens will be racing this year thanks to a countryman with long roots in motor racing.He's Vancouver businessman Teddy Yip Jr., majority owner of the Status Grand Prix team that signed Wickens to race in the GP3 series late last month. Although relatively new to the racing Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-12099429108548115732010-02-18T09:58:00.002-05:002010-02-19T10:17:49.204-05:00Sato in IndyCarFormer F1 driver Takuma Sato has signed with KV Racing Technology to race in the IZOD IndyCar Series. No terms of the deal were announced, but it is thought drivers need to bring about $3 million to the table for an Indy Car ride. “This is a very exciting time for me and all my supporters,” Sato said in a release.“I have really missed racing last year and can’t wait to get started in this new Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-63533413658845299722010-02-16T10:22:00.002-05:002010-02-17T12:12:03.656-05:00Pssst, wanna buy an F1 race shopIt looks like things aren't going well at USF1. First, the race shop in North Carolina was put on the market, signaling that something is amiss.Now, reports emerged that YouTube founder and CEO Chad Hurley is about to jump ship to fellow F1 newcomer Campos Meta. All evidence points to USF1 folding even before they start and obviously not running in the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship.Nothing Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-52069658446730060332010-02-10T19:23:00.003-05:002010-02-10T19:32:08.434-05:00Todt's remarks on teams missing races are "clarified"Apparently, the idea that teams can miss three races of the Formula One season are not sitting well with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).F1's governing body released a clarification following remarks by its president Jean Todt that appeared in the Italian Gazzetta dello Sport. The statement puts the quash on the idea teams can join the championship after missing a few races, Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-84817725593349710672010-02-10T19:14:00.003-05:002010-02-10T19:22:59.537-05:00More on USF1I spoke to former Toro Rosso F1 driver Scott Speed a while ago about the rumours that NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was in the plans of the USF1 team. At the time, Speed, now with the Red Bull NASCAR outfit, laughed when it was suggested Busch might leave NASCAR to race in F1. Not because he thought Busch didn't have the right stuff for F1, but because Speed had doubts whether the USF1 team would Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-30432745787172013472010-02-09T11:59:00.001-05:002010-02-09T11:59:00.492-05:00What are the odds?Upon hearing that a newspaper had written his obituary, Mark Twain quipped that the reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated.
That may also be true of new F1 teams USF1 and Campos Meta 1, but it's difficult not to think something is going on.
Rumours of problems at the two teams continue to swirl, with many F1 insiders wondering if either will make the grid in Bahrain at the first raceJeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-21905826751745449362010-02-09T11:33:00.001-05:002010-02-09T12:00:11.405-05:00Jacques VilleneuveVitaly Petrov seemingly not having the €15 million in financial backing he promised to fund his Renault seat for 2010 may have thrown an Formula One lifeline to 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.Chinese GP2 racer Ho-Pin Tung and former Jaguar and Red Bull F1 driver Christian Klien are also in the frame.Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443217298694187793.post-29357757617481081902010-02-08T10:12:00.001-05:002010-02-08T10:14:17.452-05:00Full Speed aheadMy latest story from Red Bull on Scott Speed's Daytona qualifying effort:Scott Speed left us in no doubt that he’s ready to go in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup after locking up a spot in the Daytona 500 field with a superb performance in qualifying on Saturday.The No 82 Red Bull Toyota driver arrived in Florida without a guaranteed starting spot in Sunday's Great American Race, but he quickly ended Jeff Papponehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10059428467358784205noreply@blogger.com0